Smoking appliance



ug. 19, i941.

' D. A. RoBBlNs f SMOKING APPLIANGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 25,1959

Patented Aug. 19, 1941 vuNiTiazD STATES PATENT orrlce Application August 25, 1939, Serial No. 291,954

(Cl. ISI-199) 4 Claims.

This invention relates to smoking appliances and more particularly to stems adapted for use with pipes, cigarettes or cigar holders, or the like.

Many different arrangements have been heretofore suggested to provide a so-called cool smoke for tobacco smokers. These arrangements have been in the form of lters incorporated in the smoking appliances or they may comprise the use of inserts or the provision of reservoirs of various types within the appliances which are supposed to collect the nicotine and tobacco juices sok that smoke received by the user will be cool, dry and sweet. Very few of these arrangements have enjoyed a commercial success, however, due to the fact that they are too vide an arrangement which will overcome the above mentioned difliculties and which iscommercially practical in view of the fact that it may be easily and inexpensively produced. This invention further furnishes a structure which is highly successful in providing a cool and. dry

smoke and which may be readily cleaned.

Brieily, this invention comprises a stem which may be incorporated in the pipe, cigarette or cigar'holder or similar article, the stem having a tortuous channel therethrough with conveniently located'V reservoirs in `communication with the channel. The smoke will be cooled by its extended journey through the tortuous channel and will be sweetened and dried by the collection of the nicotine and tobacco juices within the reservoirs associated with the channel. The stem may be provided in at least two parts so that it may be readily separated and the channel and reservoirs readily cleaned. Interlocking connections are provided between the two portions of tion and its method of operation, together with 1 additional objects and ladvantages thereof, is best understood from the following description of specific embodiments thereof, when read inconjunction with the accompanying drawings inwhich:

Figure 1 is a side view in elevation of astem constructed in accordance with the present invention and indicated as being incorporated in a Figure 2is a plan View of the inner wall of the lowerV segment of the stem shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view in cross-section taken on the lines 3--3 of Figure 1; I Y

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are plan views similar to Figure 2 which showstem segments provided with modified arrangements of the channel and of the interlocking means for maintaining a Xed relation between segments;

Figure 7 is a View in cross-section taken on a longitudinal vertical plane through a stem comprising the modication shown in Figure 6;

n Figure 8 is a side view in elevation of a stem having a modiiied form of locking means integrally formed therewith;

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional ViewY taken on the lines 9 9 of Figure 8 showing the integrally formed locking means;

Y Figure l0 is a cross-sectional View taken' on lines Ill- I0 of Figure 8 showing the overlapping edges; and

Figure 11 is a cross-sectional View similar to Figure i0 but showing modilications of the stem.

Referring specifically to Figure 1 of the drawingsy the stem may comprise an upper segment I and a lower segment 2, which segments may be tted and looked together by a ring or collar 3. In assembled position the stem is provided with the usual bit or Amouthpiece 4 at one end and, at the opposite end, the usual plug 5 which may bel inserted within a pipe bowl 6, indicated in broken lines, or other member such as a cigar or cigarette holder. One of the segments I and 2 is provided with lugs 'I which are adapted to seat within sockets 8 located in the other of the segments so that the two segments may be positively located with respect to each other and they may not be accidentally dislodged.- rEhe segments I and 2 may be provided with threaded portions 9 upon which the locking ring 3 may be threaded to positively retain the segments I and 2 together. The segments I and 2 may be molded or otherwise formed of any suitable material such as the vusual hard rubber compositions, thevarious types of'molding plastics or even metal if so desired and the threads 9 may be formed by this molding operation or, if desired, may be subsequently cut into the stem after the segments have been tted together. The threads may also be provided by attaching a separate threadedrcollar to each-segment. The threads Y9 are arranged on each segment so that they may be properly aligned with the threads 9 on the other segment.

The stem is provided with an extended tortuous channel II through which the smoke must pass before reaching the exit Ii! in the mouthpiece 4. The extended travel of the smoke enables it to be substantially cooled before reaching the mouth of the smoker. At convenient places reservoirs I2 may be located adjacent or Within the channel II which will act to collect the tobacco juices and nicotine. The reservoirs I2 are in the nature of cavities, as indicated by the character of the shading in the drawings, so that their lower walls are below the floor of the channel II. If desired, small pieces of absorbent material such as cotton, paper or the like may be located in the reservoirs to insure eiicient operation. The reservoirs I2 may be located in any convenient location along the channel II but are preferably formed by enlargements in the U part of the loops. In addition to the lugs 'I and sockets 8, tongues I3 may be provided on one segment to nt within grooves I4 in the other segment. These tongues and grooves may extend along and adjacent the edges of the segments and may also extend between the loops and/or adjacent the walls of the tortuous channel I I. By this arrangement a substantially airtight connection is formed between the segments so that the smoke must necessarily travel through the tortuous channel II.

The tortuous channel II may be in various forms and is shown in Figure 2 as comprising elongated loops or convolutions extending hori- Zontally and substantially from one end of the stem to the other with the straight portions lying parallel to the axis of the stem. Reservoirs I2 may conveniently be located at the ends of the loops adjacent the plug end of the stem, although they may be positioned elsewhere. Likewise, the channel may be arranged in a series of overlying convolutions lying nat within the stem as shown in Figure 4. Likewise the channel may be arranged in a series of short, closely adjacent, serpentine convolutions extending horizontally from side to side as shown in Figure 5 or a similar series of short serpentine convolutions extending up and down within the stem as shown in Figures 6 and '7. In these arrangements the straight portions of the convolutions lie transverse the longitudinal axis of the stem. Other arrangements are also possible and the type of loops may be selected according to the size and thickness of the stem or according to the manner in which the stem is to be used.

As may be readily seen in the section shown in Figure 3, the walls of any of the tortuous channels II will extend into both segments I and 2 of the stem and according to the modications shown in Figure 6 in which the channel extends in up and down convolutions running through the stem, the inner walls of each convolutions may be carried by one segment in the form of humps or curves I5 which are adapted to extend into the channel formed in the other segment as best shown in Figure '7. 'Ihe up and down loops or convolutions shown in Figures 6 and 7 provide the additional advantage that the lower convolutions, extending into the lower segment 2, may be enlarged to form the reservoirs I2.

'Another arrangement of the stem is shown in Figure 8 wherein the segments I and 2 are provided with integral latching means. Instead of the stem being separated in a straight line longitudinally throughout its complete length, the

separation is spread through only a major portion of the length of stem and forming two segments, the upper segment I including the complete mouthpiece or complete bit 4 and the lower segment 2 having the complete plug 5 formed thereon. These segments are provided with dovetailed or square members 20 on their ends which are adapted to t within slots 2I in the other segment. By this arrangement the two segments may -be separated by sliding one sideways or endways with respect to the other. Though these dove-tail or square members 20 are shown as being positioned at the ends of the segments it will be understood that they may be located at any convenient place along the abutting walls of the segments I and 2.

According to the arrangement shown in Figure 9 the tongue and groove connections cannot be incorporated within this plan but a tight connection may be formed in association with the upstanding edges 25 seating within the insets 26, as `shown in Figure l0, and thereby forming edges overlapping the split between the segments I and 2. The tongue and groove seals may be used in an arrangement wherein the segments. I and 2 are joined or separated by a longitudinal movement. In the event that the portions 23 are formed as squares instead of dove-tails the segments I and 2 can be separated by an axial movement. In this case one segment may be provided with two upstanding edges 25 and the other segment with corresponding recesses 26 as shown in Figure 11. Likewise tongue and groove baies may be provided between the convolutions of the channel I I lor adjacent the edges of said channel. Suitable means may be provided for locking the segments I and 2' together such as the threads 9', shown in Figure 8, adapted to receive a locking ring or collar, or a snap latch connection may be used as hereinafter described. The threads 9' may also be used for securing the stem to the pipe 6 or other member such as a cigar or cigarette holder.

The two segments I and 2' may be'retained in closed position by means of a snap-latch connection which is shown in the present instance as being associated with the dove-tailed. connection although, of course, a similar arrangement may be provided elsewhere. The dove-tailed members 20 are each provided with a small nipple 22 adjacent one side thereof and. these nipples 22 are adapted to'seat within cooperating dimples 23 located in the slots 2I. In other words, when the segments I and 2 are assembled, they are slid together until the nipples 22 abut the edges 24 of the complementary segment. With suitable pressure upon the segments the nipples 22 slide under the edges 24 and seat within the dimples 23 to form a snap-latch connection. Similarly, the segments may be separated by pressing in the direction of the arrows shown in Figure 9, the segment I being pressed in the direction of the arrow A and the segment 2 being pressed in the direction of the arrow A.

It will be readily understood that the stem may be provided with one, more than one, or all of the differ-ent forms of locating and/or latching means and/or any desired arrangement ofthe tortuous channels II, reservoirs I2, tongue and groove connections I3 and I4, collar 3 and thread 9, and either the segments I and 2 or I and 2. These members may all be formed by molding or similar processes so that the production and assembly maybe reduced to a minimum and be commercially practical. Although certain specic embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, many modications thereof are possible according to the specic need of each case. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except insofar as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A stem for pipes, cigar or cigarette holders or the like which comprises cooperating segments adapted to be separated substantially longitudinally thereof and along only a portion of its length, said segments cooperating to define a smoke channel therebetween, one of said segments being provided with a mouth piece and the other of said segments being provided with a plug member, means for locating said segments in position With respect to each other, and means for locking said segments together.

2. A stem for pipes, cigar or cigarette holders or the like which comprises cooperating segments adapted to be separated substantially longitudinally thereof and to define a smoke channel therebetween, dove-tail connections between said segments for retaining said segments together and preventing relative movement thereof in at least one direction, a nipple carried by one segment and a -cooperating dimple located in another segment for forming a snap-latch connection to vprevent relative movement of the segments in another direction.

3. A stem for pipes, cigar or cigarette holders or the like which 'comprises cooperating segments adapted to be separated substantially longitudinally thereof and to dene a smoke channel therebetween, said smoke channel extending through said stern along a tortuous path in a series of convolutions, the straight portions of the convolutions of said channel lying substantially vertically transverse to the longitudinal axis of said stem, the inner sides of the bends of said convolutions being formed by projections extending respectively from each segment into the channel of the other segment thereby preventing lateral movement between the segments and means for locking said segments together.

4. A stem for a smoking article consisting 0f intake and outlet ends and a tortuous passage in communication With both ends, said passage having a cross-sectional area of one size throughout portions of its length and one or more areas of a larger size to constitute reservoirs, said reservoirs including smoke exposed portions which are lower than any other portions of the smoke passage, said s-tem being divided substantially. longitudinally to form two cooperating sections, the portions of the sections which are in abutting relation being channeled to form said passage, and one or more enlarged recesses in a channel of one section constituting said reservoirs when the smoking article is maintained With the plane of intersection of the sections substantially horizontal.

DONALD A. ROBBINS. 

